Gonalston

St Laurence

Newark Archdeaconry

Newark and Southwell Deanery

Introduction

There has been a church in the village of Gonalston, Nottinghamshire since
at least the thirteenth century. Documentary evidence records the presence
of a priest named Richard Durium in 1269, and the fact that in 1289 the church
was in need of repair. Little is left of the early fabric of the building but
the chancel walls are original, dating from the late 12th or early 13th century.
The church houses three stone coffin lids with medieval carved effigies, plus
the redundant bowl of a Norman font and a pillar stoup. Two piscinas can also
be seen, one in the chancel the other in the exterior northern face of the
chancel wall. This provides evidence of a known diminution of the church in
1787. The entire nave and the west tower were rebuilt in 1853 by local architect
Thomas Chambers Hine. Within the tower are two bells dating from 1684, plus
two dating from 1852. The churchyard is still in use as a burial ground with
grave markers including iron-railed family plots, plus both slate and stone
markers dating back to the early 18th century. Only one of the church windows
is fully glazed with stained glass, but parts of the windows in the north aisle
contain small areas of old glass depicting the armourial insignia of the de-Heriz
and other families who were Lords of the Manor from the 12th century. A small
but decorative War Memorial is also sited in the north aisle.

Gonalston is a parish almost in a time capsule in that the population peaked
at only 134 in 1851 and in 2001 was only 100. It did however maintain its own
priest until 1932 when it became a joint benefice with the neighbouring
parish of Epperstone.

Particular thanks to Doug Fletcher for research on this entry
and for pictures